Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Egypt’s Adam Henein and Iran’s Parviz Tanavoli unite in a joint exhibition for the first time in the UAE

Egypt’s Adam Henein and Iran’s Parviz Tanavoli unite in a joint exhibition for the first time in the UAE

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 10 March 2010: The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) today announced details of the visual arts exhibition at the Abu Dhabi Festival 2010. Throughout the whole festival, The Middle East Modern Masters exhibition will be held at the Emirates Palace. The exhibition will feature a joint collection of works by two of the greatest living masters of Middle Eastern art - sculptors Parviz Tanavoli and Adam Henein. The Abu Dhabi Festival takes place from 20 March to 7 April.

HE Hoda I. Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, commented: “The Abu Dhabi Festival is committed to the visual arts. Messages and ideas embodied in this exhibition promise to provoke widespread debate and intrigue as these two masters come together for the first time in Abu Dhabi”.

“As in previous years the visual arts play an important part in the Abu Dhabi Festival and ADMAF is honored to be able to welcome two of the most prominent Middle Eastern artists, Parviz Tanavoli and Adam Henein. These two esteemed artists will come together with a striking joint collection, which will be a highlight of this year’s Festival. It is of great significance that such an important collection of modern Middle Eastern art will be shown here in Abu Dhabi, a place which is fast becoming the regional capital for the arts and culture,” she pointed out.

According to Kanoo, the Middle East Modern Masters exhibition will explore the distinct styles of these great sculptors, whilst encouraging viewers to pose questions about the progression of Middle Eastern sculpture and its role in the global art world. “Each sculptor explores his own unique heritage, with each work calling on its own references, both historical and modern. It is these avenues that audiences to the exhibition are invited to explore and reflect to the works in their own way,” she added.

“With this Exhibition, we hope to develop further strands of discussion and dialogue about some of the leaders in Middle Eastern sculpture, and the themes that their works explore both individually and together,” she said.

The three-week manifestation features more than 90 world-class performances across traditional, classical and jazz music, drama, fine arts, and ballet. Strong educational elements are woven throughout the program with the aim of supporting ADMAF’s dedication to furthering education in culture and the arts throughout the UAE. The education program supporting the Middle East Modern Masters exhibition will include opportunities for students and the public to interact with the two internationally acclaimed artists.The schedule includes a walk-through with Adam Henein at the Emirates Palace, which will be open to the public at 11.30am on Sunday 21 March; a Tanavoli Lecture at Al Mamoura Lecture Theatre, open to the public between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on Tuesday 30 March; a Tanavoli workshop at The Ghaf Gallery, which will be held exclusively for students and by invitation only on Wednesday 31 March, and a walk-through with Parviz Tanavoli at the Emirates Palace, which will be open to the public at 11.30am on Saturday 3rd of April 2010. The Abu Dhabi Festival 2010 tickets are available at Virgin Megastores and http://www.timeouttickets.com/ with part of the proceeds going to the Ewaa Shelter for Women and Children. Education and community programs will be hosted across Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE.